The D.A. program in English combines advanced study in literary,
cultural, and composition studies with preparation for
teaching. It offers courses and research opportunities with
outstanding faculty
in traditional and emerging fields of literature, cultural studies,
critical theory, writing, and composition studies. At the
same time, it emphasizes the theory and practice of pedagogy,
especially writing pedagogy, to prepare students for English and
interdisciplinary college teaching. The program is designed
for both full-time graduate students and professional educators,
administrators, and writers who want to pursue a doctoral degree
part-time. While most recent graduates of the D.A. program
are faculty at colleges and universities, other graduates have
positions in publishing, editing, public relations, and
administration in secondary and higher education.
The English D.A. degree emerged in the 1960s and 1970s to meet
the growing need for faculty at four-year and two-year
colleges. The D.A. program at St. John’s has since evolved
into a doctoral program that emphasizes the interrelatedness of
pedagogy, theory, and literary and cultural studies. The
opportunities for advanced research are comparable to those of
English Ph.D. programs, but the English D.A. program is
distinguished by its integration of research and writing with
pedagogical practice. With the 2006 opening of the Institute for Writing Studies,
the D.A. program features an exceptional new environment for
professional training and development in writing instruction.
The English D.A. curriculum provides a foundation in critical
theory and writing pedagogy, while offering students the
opportunity to develop programs of study that meet their
intellectual and professional goals. Among the areas of study
featured in the program are creative writing and composition
studies, British and American literary history, and
interdisciplinary fields such as gender studies and postcolonial
studies. The English department has especially strong
concentrations of faculty in writing and composition studies,
American studies, and modernist studies. It also features
excellent faculty in early modern, eighteenth-century, and
nineteenth-century British literary studies.
All of the English graduate courses at St. John’s are seminars
taught by research faculty who are committed to teaching and
mentoring graduate students. The graduate program offers a
wide range of courses each semester on the Queens and Manhattan St.
John’s campuses. After completing their coursework, students
in the D.A. program are encouraged to develop innovative research
projects that correspond with their professional interests.
The areas of study that students formulate for their
comprehensive exams and
dissertation represent the interdisciplinary nature of the
program. Complementing these research projects are
opportunities for practical experience, whether teaching as
graduate assistants or tutoring students in the writing center at
the Institute for Writing Studies. The English department
also presents regular lectures and readings by renowned scholars
and writers as well as an annual graduate student conference.
Department Contact
Dr. John Lowney
Director of Graduate Studies
English Department
St. John Hall B40-02
(718)-990-5631
lowneyj@stjohns.edu
Graduate Admission Information
Office of Graduate Admission
(718) 990-1601
gradhelp@stjohns.edu
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